Yoghurt cake (gateau au yahourt) is a french classic. Each kid would have made it quite a few times. One of my brother use to make it for quite a while every Wednesday (we didn’t have school Wednesdays) for afternoon tea (he was about 8 and unhelped after a couple weeks). The cake weight reference or rather volume reference is the little pot of yogurt. Since here, yogurt is found in larger quantities, I use a measuring cup as a reference or a glass.
This recipe is the “original version” as you will encounter most of the time. I love the crusty edges of the cake and the unctuous interior. It is very good as well dipped in tea or milk.
You can reduce by 1/3 the sugar if you find it to sweet as this is quite a sweet cake. You may found this cake a bit floury, sometimes it annoys me, this is why I alter with another recipe (CLICK HERE).
One very important thing, respect the quantity of baking powder (1 level teaspoon, which is less than the amount suggested on the baking powder box per cup of flour), or your cake will have a great ride (it has happened to me)!
In the photo here, I used the mix as a base to cup cakes. Two 7 y.o. did the recipe and obviously decorating under light supervision. I have used this recipe for birthday cake (reducing the sugar) with pink food colourant added.
A yoghurt cake is normally cooked in a round cake tin 20-25 cm diameter.
Ingredients:
- 1 yoghurt pot (about 125 g natural yogurt, unsweetened) – the container is then used to measure the other ingredients
- 3 pots of white sugar (about 300 g)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 pot of oil (I use a light taste oil such as sunflower)
- 1 pot of cornflour
- 2 pots of plain flour
- 1 level teaspoon of raising powder (or one sachet if it comes under that format)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C . Butter and flour you tin well, alternatively line it with baking paper.
- Empty the yoghurt in a large bowl. Rinse and dry the container. You will use it to measure the other ingredients.
- Add the sugar. Mix
- Add the eggs one at the time mixing well between each addition.
- Add the oil and mix.
- Add all at once the cornflour, four and baking powder. Mix from the centre including in your circle the dry ingredients as you go. If there are lumps, use a large whisk and mix energetically.
- Transfer the mix to the tin and place in the oven.
- It takes about 40 minutes to cook (until a skewer come out dry) and may have a little hump and a crack in the middle. If it becomes too dark early either reduce the oven or cover with aluminium foil.
